Seasoning Maker Ajinomoto Buys Small U.S. Biopharmaceutical Firm

apanese spice maker Ajinomoto Co President and CEO Masatoshi Ito holds the company’s leading product, “Ajinomoto Monosodium Glutamate Seasoning” during a photo opportunity at the company headquarters in Tokyo May 30, 2012.

After a lull in health-care deals by Japanese companies, one of the country’s best-known seasoning makers has just struck a small deal in the U.S.

Ajinomoto Co., known for making the flavoring monosodium glutamate, said Wednesday that it has acquired San Diego-based Althea Technologies Inc. for about $175 million. Althea, which is privately held, provides biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing services, Ajinomoto said in a statement.

“In combining Ajinomoto’s experience in biotechnology, together with Althea’s sophisticated technology…we aspire to expand our business for biopharmaceuticals manufacturing in the U.S. market and strengthen our advanced biomedical businesses,” Ajinomoto President and Chief Executive Masatoshi Ito said in the statement.

In addition to food and beverages, Ajinomoto also makes amino acids and other pharmaceutical products. Its past acquisitions included U.S.-based New Season Foods in 2007 and the Japanese rights to Procter & Gamble Co.’s Actonel osteoporosis treatment for $210 million in 2009.

Mr. Ito said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal last May that the company was on the prowl for acquisitions and had created a small team to identify possible targets. He said it could spend up to Y300 billion ($3.2 billion) on M&A through the fiscal year ending March 2014.

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